Srinagar:The debate over Article 35-A has snowballed into a major controversy. All the Kashmir based mainstream parties are on the same page, and are out to defend it. The fight to safeguard Article 370, which provides special status to Jammu and Kashmir, has reached its peak.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti played a master stroke by knocking at the door of the National Conference Patron Dr Farooq Abdullah and seeking his advice about how to handle the issue. Mehbooba calling on Dr Farooq Abdullah unnerved PDP’s coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party. Initially the BJP reacted cautiously and tried to assure the PDP that it would stick to Agenda of Alliance and there would be no fiddling with either Article 35-A or Article- 370. But assurance didn’t last long as the BJP leaders started singing in different tunes as the debate became hot. One of the BJP spokespersons made it clear that time has come to say goodbye to Article 370.

Suddenly the entire focus has shifted from the probe being conducted by the National Investigating Agency into alleged Hawala trail towards the special status of Jammu and Kashmir which, according to the mainstream politicians is in danger. It’s strange that despite one after another central laws being extended to J&K, the mainstream politicians are beating their chest to safeguard Article 370. Someone needs to ask them what’s left in Article 370. Isn’t it on its last legs?

Many people believe that this issue is being raked up to divert the attention from the real issue - Kashmir. On the one hand investigating agencies like NIA and Enforcement Directorate have tightened noose around separatists and no stone is being left unturned to prove that the Kashmir conflict revolves around money, while on the other hand mainstream politicians are projecting themselves as ‘Messiahs’ who are out to defend the Jammu and Kashmir from the extremist elements.

Amidst this entire din NIA is carrying on with its investigation quietly. The Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation (JKLF) chief Muhammad Yasin Malik have described the probe against separatists as a “ploy to break their will and resolve.” The investigating agencies, involving the close relatives of Geelani and Mirwaiz, has perturbed the joint separatist leadership.

If the Apex Court decides to scrap the Article 35-A it would make situation difficult for the mainstream parties in Kashmir. If these parties succeed in putting the lid over the controversy then for the time being PDP-BJP government would sail through and it would provide the leaders of mainstream parties with a chance to project themselves as the custodians of J&K’s special status.

The people sitting in New Delhi seem to have formulated a comprehensive plan to restore normalcy in Kashmir. The first thing they have done is to keep separatists busy. The mainstream politicians, who till recent past had turned insignificant are once again in limelight, and are trying to steal the show. In fact they are trying to fill in the gap by claiming that they are the real saviours.

The probe into alleged Hawala trail into Kashmir and the media trial of the separatists by the vindictive electronic media has cornered the common Kashmiri. He stands confused and doesn’t know who is right and who is wrong. The mainstream politicians, who till the recent past were asking New Delhi to hold talks with separatists in Kashmir are slowly emerging as the representatives of Kashmir. By putting up the united front against the efforts being made to scrap Article 35-A and Article 370 they are trying to drive home a point that they are the ones who will decide the fate of Jammu and Kashmir; separatists, who are grappling with NIA and other probe agencies, do not stand anywhere.

It looks like that New Delhi has succeeded in isolating the separatists, who have been representing the sentiment for the past 30-years. New Delhi is trying to prove a point that separatists are not relevant in Kashmir politics and it’s no point talking to them. Amid the growing uncertainties in Jammu and Kashmir, New Delhi is trying its best to put a lid over Kashmir imbroglio. Many people in Delhi have started believing that by putting the separatists behind bars and by diluting the issue, Kashmir problem would get sorted out once for all. It looks like that someone needs to remind the BJP led NDA government that Kashmir is the main reason for both India and Pakistan being at loggerheads.

If Delhi keeps on ignoring Kashmir issue and doesn’t stop demonizing the separatists then one can easily say that cosmetic exercises and measures won’t help anyone’s cause. The mainstream politicians, who are pretending to don the mantle of separatists need to realize that they are playing with fire. The need of the hour is to come up with a permanent solution rather than beating round the bush. Kashmir can only be resolved through talks as all of us know it very well that war is no option, and neither is jailing separatists part of any solution.